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An Exhibition of ‘Civilizations’ in Beijing, and the Narrative China Is Quietly Writing

By Felix Brender 王哲謙 The Where Civilizations Meet exhibition at Beijing’s National Museum of China drew to a close this month. Showcasing artifacts from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it was, at least on the surface, a celebration ...

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Why the West Gets Vietnam Wrong: The Myth of Pro-U.S. and Pro-China Camps
Vietnam's Defense Minister Phan Van Giang (R) and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (L) shake hands during a welcoming ceremony at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Hanoi on November 2, 2025. AFP
Welcome to Myth and Misperception! It has never been more urgent to understand China’s relations with the Global South and how they impact the United States. Unfortunately, many observers in the West do not have a firm understanding of these relationships due to an absence of native voices. This shortage has ...

China’s Shadow Looms Over Trump’s Summit With Central Asian Leaders

U.S. President Donald Trump will host all five Central Asian leaders in Washington on Thursday, marking the first time they have been gathered together. This comes just a few months after they held separate summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Digital Silk Road 2.0: How China Is Shaping Central Asia’s AI Ecosystem

The race for artificial intelligence supremacy is now global. As the United States and China compete to define the future of AI, their rivalry increasingly shapes how they engage with the rest of the world. Washington leans on alliances and export ...

Turning Trash into Treasure: Chinese Waste-to-Energy Projects in Central Asia

Since the 1990s, energy has been at the heart of China’s engagement with Central Asia. What began with oil and gas pipelines has, in recent years, expanded into solar and wind, reflecting Beijing’s push toward greener development. Now, a new frontier is opening: waste-to-energy (WtE).

Beijing’s Golden Gambit: China’s Strategic Push into Central Asian Gold Markets

China’s footprint in Central Asia’s mineral wealth is deepening, with gold emerging as a strategic priority alongside critical minerals. While Beijing’s investments in copper, lithium, and rare earths are widely viewed as essential to sustaining its industrial base, its push ...

China-Central Asia Weekly News: Building Skills and Local Capacity

This is a free preview of the upcoming China-Central Asia Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in 2026. China's engagement with Central Asia is entering a new phase that extends far beyond the traditional Belt and ...

China–Central Asia Weekly Digest: Vocational Training, Cultural Centers & Governance Programs

This is a free preview of the upcoming China-Central Asia Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in late 2025. This week’s developments highlight how China is deepening its engagement with Central Asian societies through education, culture, and ...

China-Central Asia Weekly Digest: China Brings E-Commerce, EVs & Health Closer to Consumers

This is a free preview of the upcoming China-Central Asia Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in late 2025. This week's developments demonstrate China's expansion into consumer-facing sectors across Central Asia, moving beyond infrastructure projects into direct ...

China-Central Asia Weekly Digest

This is a free preview of the upcoming Central Asia Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. This week's developments highlight the intersection of China's digital technology capabilities with Central Asia's urgent modernization requirements across financial ...

China’s Belt and Road Shatters Expectations With Record Activity

For much of the past two years, we've been told to expect a slimmer, more austere Belt and Road under the new "Small Yet Beautiful" mantra. The days of Chinese mega deals across the Global South were over... or so we ...

China-Central Asia Weekly Digest

This is a free preview of the upcoming Central Asia Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. This week's developments reveal Beijing's strategy to relocate manufacturing capacity while establishing itself as the region's primary technology provider ...

Q&A: Behind Xi’s “Eternal Friendship” Pitch in Central Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Astana this week for the second China–Central Asia Summit, meeting with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. At the summit, Xi emphasized China’s “eternal friendship” with the region and rolled out a slate of new initiatives, including cooperation ...

Xi’s Central Asia Trip Responds to Global Pressures

China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan on Monday for the China-Central Asia Summit, aimed at strengthening Beijing’s ties in the region. The summit will bring Xi together with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The outreach comes ...
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